Streamlining channel packages
 

According to this article, skinny packages are set to become more popular in the US, and over here, too, there is increasing talk of allowing subscribers to choose which channels they wish to view.

https://www.rapidtvnews.com/20170923...#axzz4tUhMx800

Out of interest, I counted the number of popular non-premium channels (excluding children's channels) listed in TV & Satellite Week, and then considered how many of these neither my wife nor I ever watch.

Amazingly, I found that over the course of the last three years, we have only ever watched at least one programme from 42 out of the 72 channels, and I have counted in that number channels rarely viewed.

So effectively, I am paying for 30 channels I never watch and don't need. I wonder how much that adds to my bill?

Given the concerns raised on this forum about price rises, perhaps VM should start thinking about offering a skinny package with only the most popular channels included. This would be a real bargain compared with what we are paying now, and would attract customers from other platforms to cable. I think that without such an initiative, an increasing exodus of cable TV subscribers will happen before long.

Re: Streamlining channel packages
 

Service providers make money from channels that have to pay them for carriage/epg space. Then they make money from customers by selling them packages filled with such channels, that are promoted on quantity rather than quality.

I can't see either Virgin or Sky willingly going down this route, unless the parameters start changing dramatically.

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Yes, that's the point. The more prices go up, the more subscribers will start leaving, and the skinny package idea is one way of retaining their custom and also attracting new customers to the platform.

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The other issue is that advertising revenue for non premium channels is based on channel "reach" rather than actual viewing figures. So when a channel offers advertising space to an agency they have to base the offer on potential customers. The higher this figure the more revenue can be generated. Channels that are part of a large pack therefore get more money from their advertising than ones that don't.

A consequence of any move like this will be minority channels will dissapear at the expence of the big boys, who will just hoover up other channels & either merge or close them & give us less choice in the long run.

Re: Streamlining channel packages
 

I accept that, but of course if the big players like Sky and Virgin do not adapt to what their customers want, those viewers will be lost anyway.

As you know, I have said on a different thread that the broadcast channels are ultimately doomed because alternatives are becoming available which are better, give the viewer more flexibility and choice, without constant interruptions from advertisements.

I'm afraid the minority channels will be the first to go under, but I cannot see an alternative that will work. Most of them are pretty low brow anyway, to say the least.

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The broadcast channels offer one thing you'll never see on the likes of Netflix or Amazon and that's UK content and I'm not just referring to dramas.

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I think you will find that the streaming players will offer more and more as time goes on, and progress will be quick. Who would have thought five years ago that Amazon would start adding TV channels, let alone bidding for Premier League rights?

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No chance they are global players rather than UK specific and as such their content is geared towards a global market.

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If that was true, why would Amazon be expressing a high level of interest in our Premier League Football?

The global players do have to adapt to local conditions, otherwise they would not be seen as relevant in those countries taking the service. In fact, the EU is requiring a minimum amount of content produced in each EU country to be provided as a condition of being allowed to operate within the EU.

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Premier League football a rumour put out there by the Daily Mail , it must be right then.

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The gospel truth by the sheep that believe it.;):D

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It's been reported quite widely, actually. Here's something just the other day from The Independent. Is that newspaper reliable enough for you?;)


http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/f...-a7960721.html

---------- Post added at 15:45 ---------- Previous post was at 15:41 ----------

Oh, Den, you are one immovable object! Tell me, do you only believe in fake news or do you disbelieve everything you read? I'd really love to know. :Sprint:

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So a Chief Executive within a football club is speculating the streaming companies will plough into Premier League Football. Wonder if he has a vested interest in receiving more money.:D

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Being reported quite widely does not mean one should take it as gospel as remembering when one is reading newspapers remember the old motto of 95% is ******** and the other 5% is somewhere near the truth.;)

---------- Post added at 05:49 ---------- Previous post was at 05:47 ----------

Read my first answer and all will be revealed OB.;):D

Re: Streamlining channel packages
 

I never said it was gospel, Den. I was simply responding to the implied criticism of the article being in the Daily Mail.

However, I do think it is rather more likely that the gist of a story that appears in a range of newpapers including the quality dailies has some truth in it than ideas that randomly come into your head, Den! :D

---------- Post added at 10:42 ---------- Previous post was at 10:35 ----------

The Chief Executive of the Premier League has also intimated the same thing.


http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/f...-a7960721.html

Re: Streamlining channel packages
 

No different then the chief executive's before him who try to big up the TV rights auction knowing full well who will win most of the TV rights for the Premier League..

---------- Post added at 10:58 ---------- Previous post was at 10:55 ----------

Well there are still four screws in my head last time l looked and they all fit very snugly OB.;):D

Re: Streamlining channel packages
 

What I'm still waiting for is a link or something to information that leads you to believe that nothing will change.

I guess we will be waiting a long time for this.

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I would go further than OB's original post on this thread and suggest that it's not just his household but almost all are getting bad value for money if they buy the full TV bundle.
I'm seriously considering ditching VM TV next February when my contract's up and moving to a NowTV/Humax Freeplay combo and just taking the broadband from Virgin. I wouldn't lose out on the Sky Sports, Cinema or box sets and would save around £50 a month even taking into account buying the Humax recorder. That'll probably work for us, regardless of what happens with the next round of Premiership overpaying

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The counter argument to this would be that if these minority channels can't survive without the subsidy of a percentage of the subscriptions people are forced to pay for something that they don't want then perhaps they shouldn't survive.
They are business's after all and only in the media and arts is it expected that handouts are given to a business that otherwise would go broke.

Whilst I would prefer the change to "skinny" subscriptions happens at a more rapid pace, for TV I'm quite happy with Freeview and Now TV with the money I save going to pay for my sports based subscriptions and VPN.

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Add Amazon to that (I see you already have Netflix) and you are still making a big saving each month.

I may well take the same path in the future, but I will wait for some further developments before taking the plunge.

Of course, there could be some developments from VM that would persuade me to stay. If, for example, they come up with a lot of good exclusive material (eg through the LG association with Lionsgate, etc), they would be headed more in my direction.

I would really like the V6 to be developed into an open streaming box so that all the popular streaming services were on there. I thought that was the route VM were taking not so long ago, but now it's beginning to look like a lost opportunity.

Imagine that. A streaming box like Roku with all the cable channels and recording facilities to boot. That, I believe, would be extremely popular.

Re: Streamlining channel packages
 

I fear that is a dream that will never come to pass.
Several years ago I remember seeing a quote from the then CEO of Sky (I forget which one now) that said their aim was to reduce VM and BT to mere telco's.

When we catch up with the US and are allowed to subscribe to what we want via OTT services those "mere" telco's will be the dominant players as they both own their own networks, Sky's master plan will reduce them to a content provider and ISP who don't own the majority of their infrastructure.
When this comes to pass it will be much more cost effective for VM to let their customers buy their own streaming hardware and then just maintain their superior network!

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What would be the difference between BT and Sky considering BT has to offer equal access to its network to all ISP's ?

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Do BT have to offer access to their Gfast service to other ISP's or access if they choose to lay FTTP lines?
Whether they do or don't everyone else using their network is at a disadvantage and reliant on the whims of BT's investment program.

VM are at a distinct advantage with their own closed and superior network when we get to the point of only subscribing to the services we want via OTT

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I'm pretty sure Gfast is open to all the other ISP's should they choose to offer it.

As it stands I never max out my 76/20 mb connection.

Re: Streamlining channel packages
 

And your proof to that it will change OB?.

---------- Post added at 05:40 ---------- Previous post was at 05:38 ----------

Well one is still waiting for yours.;)

Re: Streamlining channel packages
 

I've sent countless links over time. You've sent nothing to back up your rather gloomy view, Den.:mis:

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Countless links that add up to diddly squat OB as the proof is in the pudding and thus so far l am still waiting for it to arrive.;).

Re: Streamlining channel packages
 

I'm still waiting to see your pudding, Den... ;):erm:

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Well when it arrives it won't be doing a OB special that is for sure.;):D

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Indeed, if every link posted on these threads resulted in an actual change, VM would have been carrying Sky Atlantic for several years. ;)

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Yes that chestnut about Sky Atlantic coming must have started about 5 years ago.:)

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According to this, Amazon may wait until the Premiership rights come up again before bidding. It will be interesting to see if other players come forward this time around.

https://www.theguardian.com/football...0m-a-year-deal

Later this year, Sky and BT will face off again for the biggest prize of all when the Premier League rights come up for renewal in what could be a £6bn sports rights auction. The pair could be joined by Amazon, which earlier this month poached the UK rights to the ATP men’s tennis world tour – all the tournaments outside the grand slams and the finals at London’s O2 Arena each year – from Sky.

Amazon has deep pockets, but may not be ready this auction cycle to commit such sums to drive its Prime Video service and wider business, but the threat could spur more big spending from BT and Sky.

Re: Streamlining channel packages
 

Will you.;)

https://www.sportbusiness.com/sport-...-rights-market

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That's more like it, thank you! :)

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EE TV has become the first UK set top box, and one of the first service providers worldwide, to offer a hands-free control option via Amazon Alexa.

Hopefully, Virgin Media will get a move on to provide Amazon as one of the streaming services available on the V6. Perhaps it was the complication of adding Alexa that caused the delay of the launch.

I hope that's all it was, and that VM have not made any decision not to proceed with the Amazon app.

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Well we shall see what comes out in the wash OB.:)

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VM have no interest in launching Amazon on their boxes, vm now have their own store aswell as their own pay service for movies.
Amazon video app is not coming to vm anytime soon, tivo will not be compatable with Alexa either.
Think google home that's all i'm saying.

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Last I heard was that the Amazon app reached the testing stage on VM, but a top bod at VM blocked it.

So much for Mockridge saying that the VM STB would be a one stop for content.

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I know, along the same lines as John Malone. I can't figure out what it was that stopped this from going ahead, but it was a mistake in my view. Maybe it was the addition of the Amazon channels that did it.